


Spacefillers

by itsdatrollmon



Series: Hi-Def Reality AU [2]
Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Domesticity, M/M, Parallels, Reality, every day life, tries to stick close to what can actually happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2164482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsdatrollmon/pseuds/itsdatrollmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyday, every moment, is magic.<br/>James and Aleks' relationship from everyone else's perspectives.</p><p>[[Chapter 3, now moved to Chapter 1: Sp00n - nah, Nick - gives his blessing.]]</p><p>A collection of drabbles and short fics about what we can hope happened behind the scenes.<br/>(Some drabbles here may turn into real full-length fics. Putting them up here just so that I remember them, anyway.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. w/ Nova &

**Author's Note:**

> Everyday, every moment, is magic.
> 
> [[Chapter 3, now moved to Chapter 1: Sp00n - nah, Nick - gives his blessing.]]
> 
> A collection of drabbles and short fics about what we can hope happened behind the scenes.  
> (Some drabbles here may turn into real full-length fics. Putting them up here just so that I remember them, anyway.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sp00n - nah, Nick - gives his blessing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set at RTX 2013. Mid-Battleblock era.  
> Photo is Immortal's camera, with Sp00n and Nova. :)

 

This isn't really the first time they've ever met. Nick remembers 2012, some days when Nova - James - isn't up for shooting guys (then again it was probably because James got bored of shooty things too quickly), he'd look through his Steam friends list and go _up for_ _battlefield?_ _  
_

Immortal - Aleks (sometimes he forgets that they're all on real name basis now, though most times he still calls Jordan _Koots_ ) - usually was always up for it. It probably had come with him being fresh out of high school back then, bored out of his mind and desperate to unload aggression from trying to fit into college. (Also, he probably really just wanted to launch off his YouTube career to epic heights like everyone else, though Nick has to admit that he was a really good shot.)

But this is kind of the first time they've met in this setting, and there's really nothing unusual with it except for sweaty nerds and the parade of Zeldas who've let themselves go, and - okay, Nick shouldn't feel awkward but it kinda. is.

"So um," Nick starts. He has a cup of slushie in one hand, and both of them are leaning against a part of wall a few feet from the bathroom door. Nova's taking a piss, and taking a goddamned long time (even if he just got in, like, 5 seconds ago). He continues, "Battleblock. Pretty great series, really fun to watch. Good job man."

Aleks looks startled for a moment, looking up from his phone. Nick scrunches his eyebrows when Aleks pries out the earbuds from under his beanie. "Yeah, uh, sorry?"

Nick doesn't feel offended, really, not when Aleks looks so alarmed. But he feels that he should clear the air anyway, so he says, "Your Battleblock series with James is great, dude. Just wanted you to know."

He watches as Aleks' face twists to something that seems a little uneasy, takes note of how he clumsily refrains from shifting his feet. After a beat, Aleks speaks, as if Nick was going to chew through his guts if he says something wrong. "Thanks man. Look, I know that James usually does these series things with you --"

Nick holds up a hand. He knows what Aleks is thinking, because he's felt it first hand. But he's had time to think, and reflect, and most importantly - observe. A lot of things has changed since, and he's... "Nah, man, don't sweat it. I know James and I were kinda inseparable video-collaborations wise, but I've been really busy so it's great to see James still playing with someone else on a regular basis. I know that I'm the unique spice to his otherwise boring stuff and nobody can ever replace me, but," he pauses, tries to think of a way to phrase his thoughts properly, "but there are things that...uh, different people can give...?" He tries to look meaningfully at Aleks, but by the way the guy blinks, he probably didn't get it.

Nick sighs, and tries again. "Hey," he thumps Aleks on the shoulder, "since you guys have been playing together he's been...different. In a good way. He seems," Nick searches for a word that doesn't seem too gross, because he doesn't want to scare Aleks away from what's going on now. "He seems brighter. A bit. Especially in person. Whatever you're doing, it's working, and as his best friend," Nick grins, "I appreciate it. Carry on."

Aleks' brows scrunch up, and he starts to ask something, but the bathroom door opens, and - it's some random guy. But the random guy is followed by James, who walks over to them while wiping his hands over his pants. Nick watches Aleks grimace.

"Dude, did you wash your hands?" Aleks says. James rolls his eyes, flicks water at him.

"What do you think? That I pissed on my hands and that I decided to wipe them on my pants like some sort of caveman?"

Aleks turns up his nose, "if pants existed in that time period, then yeah."

James doesn't respond, just makes a wrinkly face with a frown so deep that it makes Aleks pig-snort in amusement. James apparently finds that hilarious, because he lets out this booming laugh that briefly reminds Nick of late nights of smashing zombies and wasting ketchup. Aleks kicks at James, and soon they start squabbling pointlessly, and...well. 

"Break it up, lovebirds," Nick calls out, and if he's smiling it's more because of this weird sense of pride in seeing how far they've all gotten rather than the faces Aleks and James make at his comment.  Ah, well, Nick's gonna give them another year. "We're late for the panel. The fans are getting anxious to meet me for the first time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :D Please leave a comment for the next video or behind the scenes moment you want me to write about, or a kudos if you liked this!
> 
> *Spacefillers is a collection of drabbles and short fics about what we can hope happened behind the scenes.  
> (Some drabbles here may turn into real full-length fics. Putting them up here just so that I remember them, anyway.)


	2. Mother Hen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin knows that James tends to be a mother hen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the aftermath of the SWAT incident -- in PAX Prime, Friday.
> 
> Jenna is Swootery = Kevin's super cool girlfriend (if I'm not mistaken hahaha) and possibly the coolest of all Creature girlfriends imho (she has a Tumblr and cosplays and everything)

 

Jordan is here, and even if Kevin had made a joke of it by laughing and telling him that  _well, I guess the Counter-Terrorists won that round_ , he's just really, really glad that he's safe. It was pretty strong of Jordan to pull himself together just in time for PAX, and even stronger for him to have kindly declined James' offer to have all the other guys form a body-barrier around him wherever they walked. (Just to pre-emptively stop all the fans from swarming in 'concern', because. You know. They're concerned but they're dumb like sheep and Kevin's pretty sure that the younger kids have no grasp on tact just yet.)

 _You're all too short to actually shield me_ , Jordan had said, and Kevin had grinned when Seamus' face twisted up in distaste,  _I'll take my hat off and dress different and everything_.  _You guys have fun._

Kevin is glad he had brought a fedora, because -- he glances around briefly, catches sight of the unmistakable grey felt bobbing along the throng of slightly balding heads -- it's the less-than-perfect-but-suitably-well-timed situation for it. He's an honest guy, so he admits that he wants to be able to keep an eye on Jordan every few minutes, even if he never really intended to. And by the way James tries to look around surreptitiously, he's not the only one who thinks that way.

Jordan should know better, Kevin thinks, but Jordan is young and he's only 23 (and Kevin's 18 but that's not the point). For some reason he doesn't have a good sense of danger, like how Kevin doesn't really have a good sense of himself at times (which reminds him of Jenna and how she holds him upright). But Kevin doesn't miss how Jordan's recklessness is kind of taking a toll on James, who's only a year older but for some reason...for some inescapably _weird_ reason, always had a problem with mother henning and telling the guys that _you're going to get hurt, you dickhead, stop that shit right. fucking. now._

So maybe Kevin shouldn't be glad that he let Jordan use his fedora so that he could fling himself into danger again. Or...glad that they have a makeshift tracking device for him that isn't the trademark red hat? Jeez, he doesn't know. But it's done, so Kevin shouldn't let it bother him anymore anyway.

He looks away from a display of Japanese indie games for a bit (after trying not to snicker too much at the slew of Engrish because -- is it racism if he belongs to that race too? --), cranes his neck upwards, and spots Dominika's unmistakably bright hair. Aleks is poking around some stuff at the booth they're at, and Kevin wants to join them because he's a bit bored with squeezing around in the crowd with sweaty cosplayers (with costume inaccuracies he knew too much about and is working hard to resist poking fun at).

But then...he stops, thinks. Looks back at James, who's perusing a line of small action figures. Considers.

No, he doesn't.

He nudges James, cups his hand around his mouth so he could yell more clearly into James' ear, "I see Jordan!" _just barely_ , but "let's go?"

James starts turning to face him, and -- if Kevin shoves another conventioner away too hard it's because Aleks and Dominika were suddenly way too close, lips a hairs' breadth away, and he grasps James' shoulders just in time to push him more into the crowd, towards Jordan. Kevin didn't panic, not really (okay, he's trying to be honest, so yes he did) but...if James is so busy taking care of and being worried for everyone else, then he deserves to have someone look out for him too, for a change.

"Don't," Kevin offers as an explanation, before James could yell at him for being rough. James looks confused for a moment, then...he understands. Kevin tries hard not to feel sorry, tries not to pity him even when James' eyes bleed resignation, because that isn't his business to give. (He isn't sure anymore if having shielded James even made a difference, but it's done, and James is still whole, or as whole as he can get. Now he just has to seal the cracks, instead of picking up the pieces.)

"Let's go, man. Get Jordan," Kevin offers, clapping a hand onto James' back. James tries to grin, but it's shaky, so Kevin smiles big enough for both of them, "I wanna go see this pretty cool program going on at Wombat Theater." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From http://prime.paxsite.com/schedule  
> 3:00PM, Wombat Theater - Take This: How to be a Friend  
> (4:30PM, Wombat Theater - Queer Visibility in Tabletop RPGs)
> 
> Note: I like Dominika. :D This in no way is meant to bash her, but simply to celebrate the beauty of unrequited love.
> 
> Please leave a comment, "fave" my Tumblr post, or leave a kudos if you liked it! :D It's what keeps me going on hahaha


	3. Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [He wants to be careful, has to be tactful, needs to be there for the fallout. And so he'll wait for the right moment.]
> 
> Kevin tries to ask after James. (Unrequited NovaHD)
> 
> (Set before Chapter 4: "Mother Hen")

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during the Hell's Prison episodes, when Aleks drops out of the call because he got scared of the giant face jumpscare.  
> Also set before the Space Needle lost video.  
> (April-May 2014 spacefiller)

 

Aleks is being a wuss and won't come back online until maybe a few more minutes, so it's just Kevin and James on Skype, which means Kevin's gonna have to do some chit-chat to pass the time. It's not like he hates talking to James -- not even by a mile -- but Kevin isn't really too sure if he can avoid asking the one thing that's always been on his mind when it comes to them. But he has to ask about it, or at least has to say something to fill the rapidly growing silence made awkward by his own hesitation.

In the end there's really nothing else Kevin can think of talking about, so he settles for even ground between caution and curiosity, says as neutrally as he could, "you and Aleks are pretty close."

A beat, and the other end of the line fizzles to life. "Yeah? So are you two. We're all close." And if James was in front of him now then Kevin would've peered into his eyes and stared into his irises for a long, long time and gone _no, that's not what we're talking about._ But Kevin's all the way in Seattle, Aleks and James are in Colorado, and maybe the distance and the separation is making Kevin think of things that aren't actually there. But he's still pretty sure it is. It has to be.

But he doesn't know what to say without being pushy or accusing. He stares at his Skype window and imagines how it would be like had it been James' face instead of the sleek sky blue. Would James understand what he was saying right off the bat, or would he know -- then try to act like he didn't? Would Kevin have to say it again, each syllable ground out more meaningfully, or would he just squeeze James' shoulder with an  _I'm sorry, dude. I'm sorry you have to go through this_ that would've sounded rehearsed no matter how hard he tried?

If he were any other person then Kevin would've dismissed everything as just his overactive imagination working. But then Kevin _isn't_ any other person because he's spent time and again with these two, laughing and bonding and he's observant enough -- overthinks enough -- to notice when something has changed. And it has, in little ways that sometimes hurts him to watch, little moments that used to make him wonder and that now make him bleed on James' behalf.

"You alright, Kevin?" James's voice crackles through his headset, and Kevin has the overwhelming urge to throw the question back at him because _you're not okay, **I know you I can see it** you're trying hard to be strong but your heart's broken f_ _or him_   _ **because of him and her** and I'm sorry, I'm sorry you have to go through this_. But he doesn't, because Aleks can come back at any minute, and thousands of miles away between them isn't the right setting to confront James about this. He wants to be careful, has to be tactful, needs to be there for the fallout. And so he'll wait for the right moment. 

"Yeah man," he answers, smiling, "hey, you guys are coming over here to Seattle right? I don't know if you've ever seen the Space Needle..."


	4. PinkNova and the Obscure Adventure Time Reference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Photo is from cuteanimelove on Tumblr (http://cuteanimelove.tumblr.com/post/86220536960/pixiv-41402932)

__

 

"Alright, if the stream gets to four thousand dollars of donations, then I’m gonna dye my hair pink!"

What did he just hear? Aleks’ eyes snap to James’ face (or at least to his chin, because right now James’ head is turned towards Jordan who also seems to be almost as surprised as Aleks is) and he’s…wow is he really planning to do this?

"I wonder how many people are going to get that reference," Aleks says as casually as he could, once James’ hands return to his controller and his scowl is pointed back full force to the monitor. Jordan’s not around to hear this, not that he’d get it anyway. "I wonder if Tumblr’s gonna notice."

"Don’t bet on it, my Vampire King," James replies, and if that’s not a smirk in his voice then it’s definitely on the lips that Aleks /really/ doesn’t want to reward with a kiss. But he does so, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :D Please leave a comment for the next video or behind the scenes moment you want me to write about, or a kudos if you liked this!
> 
> *Spacefillers is a collection of drabbles and short fics about what we can hope happened behind the scenes.  
> (Some drabbles here may turn into real full-length fics. Putting them up here just so that I remember them, anyway.)


	5. Sound Foam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seamus helps out his friends.
> 
> Based off the Sound Froam video (at 16:30 i believe). Set around the time Nova gets admitted into the hospital, because only 5 of the Creatures were in the video. Of course I could be wrong hahaha

 

"I can't wait until Aleks gets here," Dan grins, camera pointed at Jordan's efforts to stick foam onto the door. He's turned towards Seamus. "and he completely wrecks us --"

 _Seamus is generally the guy who's in charge of daily attendance and of keeping tabs on who's where and why, so when Aleks texts a_ _'gonna be late'  at around 8:30AM in the morning, he doesn't doubt his decision to text back almost immediately with an 'ok. tell james to take it easy.'_

_A few minutes, and his phone beeps again. 'yea dw hes just bored, wifi slow @ hospital. he says hi. btw when do you need me back @ office? james tellin me i cn go to work. says hes ok'_

_Well, there's really no reason to rain on anyone's parade, good intentions unmentioned. And even if Seamus says otherwise, it's not like it still won't happen anyway, so might as well make it official._

"It's been two hours," Seamus tells Dan. He pulls out his phone, swipes a thumb through his inbox, even if he's already read the most recent message. "He didn't even follow up, after that...he'll probably be here at 11:30."

_'thanks', the screen shows, ''30 mins til procedure. james pretending 2 not b scared. i got him.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :D Please leave a comment for the next video or behind the scenes moment you want me to write about, or a kudos if you liked this!
> 
> *Spacefillers is a collection of drabbles and short fics about what we can hope happened behind the scenes.  
> (Some drabbles here may turn into real full-length fics. Putting them up here just so that I remember them, anyway.)


	6. Chapter 6

UNFINISHED WORK

 

He's your best friend. You started this whole YouTube thing together, made a shit ton of best-seller series together, and neither of you are gonna say it but you're probably both the best things that happened to each other career-wise. You're so fucking lucky to have even hit it off, to have become friends outside of the whole sphere of gaming. 

So that's why you think that he should know, that he should be the first to hear, because if it doesn't go over well with him then -- then at least you'd know better than to talk about it again. But you've known each other for a long, long time, and a part of you wishes that it'll be all...okay.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :D Please leave a comment for the next video or behind the scenes moment you want me to write about! I'd also appreciate a kudos if you liked this, or a "like" on my Tumblr post! (These keep me alive <3)
> 
> *Spacefillers is a collection of drabbles and short fics about what we can hope happened behind the scenes.  
> (Some drabbles here may turn into real full-length fics. Putting them up here just so that I remember them, anyway.)


End file.
